Global smartphone sales fell 5% in the fourth quarter as the traditionally busy holiday season eased rather than reversing the contraction that took place in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has caused supply and economic problems across the world, with many consumers delaying their purchases because they no longer need or can't afford a new device. The lockdown restrictions have also caused retailers in many parts of the world to close their doors, while the development and manufacturing of new phones have also been affected.
Smartphone sales around the world
Gartner's fourth-quarter figures suggest that while it remains a tough market for manufacturers, Apple was able to increase its share thanks to demand for the iPhone 12. "Sales of more 5G smartphones and sub-midrange smartphones have minimized the market downturn in the fourth quarter of 2020," said Anshul Gupta, Gartner's senior director of research. “Although consumers remained cautious in their spending and delayed some discretionary purchases, 5G smartphones and professional camera features encouraged some end-users to buy new smartphones or upgrade their current smartphones during the quarter. Apple's pursuit of the high end of the market, relatively strong brand loyalty and the inclusion of 5G connectivity in its latest phones, led it to move 79,8 million units in the quarter. This 14,9% growth rate is enough to give the company a 20,8% market share and become the world's leading vendor for the first time since the same quarter of 2016. Xiaomi was the only other major vendor to posted growth in the quarter, increasing sales by 33,9% to 43,4 million, but still trailing Samsung in second place. The Korean electronics giant saw its sales fall 11,8% to 62,1 million. Huawei's sales, hampered by ongoing difficulties with the US government, fell 41,1% to 34,3 million, a share of 8,9% for the fourth quarter. Samsung has consistently sold the most devices throughout 2020, ahead of Apple in second and Huawei in third. Despite a difficult year, Gartner believes that 5G will provide an opportunity to return to growth in 2021. “In 2021, the availability of low-end 5G smartphones and innovative features will be decisive factors for end users to upgrade their smartphones. exist," added Gupta. "Rising demand for affordable 5G smartphones outside of China will boost smartphone sales in 2021."